Love of Many Shall Grow Cold

Summary

The agape love of many followers of Jesus Christ will grow cold during at least the first half of the 70th week of years due to iniquity abounding. This is very sad since love is one of the primary ways by which the world will know that we are Christians.

Response

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:9-10)

Why Will Love Grow Cold?

What Is Love?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

This speaks of God's unconditional love in giving Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for all humanity's sins so that whoever believes in Jesus Christ would not perish in the lake of fire, but have eternal life.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

This is the commandment that Jesus gave his followers to love one another.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The apostle Paul mentions love as the first fruit of the Holy Spirit.

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:10-11)

What are the Implications?

If the love of many followers of Jesus Christ grows cold, it means that they are no longer obeying His commandment and abiding in the light.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matthew 24:12–13).

Since love endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7), if love grows cold, it will be harder to endure to the end. Agape love is one of the ingredients that will help us endure all things, including the difficult times that are coming. If agape love waxes cold during this period, it is not surprising that believers will find it more difficult to endure, thus leading to more people falling away as Jesus and Paul indicated.